5

4

3

2

1

Go to page

Ancient Mariner

I sent an email asking for more info from just about anybody I could find who had any relation to the Museoantar program.

Dear Mr Matsagouras

Many thanks for your query regarding the lyrics from the Iron Maiden song Stranger in a Strange Land. We have been celabrating recently the centenary of the voyage of the Scotia, the research ship of Dr William Bruce's Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (1902-04). This has been comprehensively researched and I do not know of any discoveries of mummified bodies from this expedition being discovered at a later date. The only man to die on the expedition was the ship's engineer Allan Ramsay. He was the first to be buried on the island in what is now known as the Explorers's Graveyard. When the Scotia left Laurie Island on 22 February 1904, the Scots Robert Mossman and William Smith remained behind with the Argentine scientists, Valette, Szmula and Acuna (a total of 5 not 6). The Argentine ship the Uruguay remanned this team in December 1904 and every year since then the research station has continued to function under the management of the Argentine Meteorological Service. The Uruguay was also involved in the 1903 rescue of Nordenskjold's Swedish Antarctic Expedition whose ship was crushed in the ice.

I wonder whether the song refers to Allan Ramsay who died in August 1904?

I know there were bodies from the ill-fated 1840s Franklin Expedition found in the Arctic ice about then, but don't recollect any Antarctic finds of this kind. I will keep on looking but hope this is of some help in the meantime.

Sincerely

Dr David Munro
Director
Royal Scottish Geographical Society

Also,
I relistened to the Dickinson interview and Iwas happy to find out that Bruce actually says "they dug him out from where he was burried". I am working on it, maybe Ramsay IS the stranger after all

Ancient Mariner

As far as I am aware Allan Ramsay's body has never been moved or dug up from
his original grave site which has always been marked by a cross.

Sincerely

Dr David Munro
Director
Royal Scottish Geographical Society

after all this search I have been led to one conclusion... I am definatelly sure the mission I have been led to is the correct one, it is the only both scottish and the at the start of the century. IMO, Bruce's claims of a dug out body and (obviously!!!) Nicko's claim that H met one of the survivors were just PR BS to spice up the story.

Prowler

I noticed a pretty curious thing about this song. It doesn't have any real "ending", meaning it keeps going as it slowly fades out. This might not be curious on its own, but I think it's the only Maiden song that ends like this. Anyone know another one?

Anonymous

Guest

Prowler

Oh yeah, The Profecy was another one...never paid much attention to it...
I had not thought about Women In Uniform, because it's not on any album.
And well, Transylvania kind of fuses with Strange World, so i wouldn't count that one.

The Angel Of The Odd

Here it is the longest solo in Maiden history : One of the very few to be over 1 minute
(the typical Maiden solo lasts 40 sec and is from two guitarists) -plus is performed by Adrian exclusively.

It's my favourite solo, as is the solo the more 'natural' of this group;
The passage to it is in total harmony with the continuity of the music,
something really rare in Maiden songs.
(and generally in metal culture where often the solo breaks the continuity)

Except that, the lyrics are very mysterious, the cover of the single one of the best ever
which make this song one of the few (but very beloved) good moments of Somewhere In Time

It’s probably a personal perception but I have the idea that lot of Maiden solos do not break the continuity of the songs, the same goes for quite some other bands. I guess I like many solos and I think that they enrich the songs immensely. It’s impossible to think of all those classic tracks without all those solos.

So perhaps you would define what you mean by continuity in a song. And when is this continuity broken up, and how does that feel to you?

The Angel Of The Odd

1. "Aces High" At 2:02 we have a bringe, and the solo comes after -break of continuity
2. "2 Minutes to Midnight" At 2:45 the solo comes but with a change of a riff -as above
3. "Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)" At 2:07 the colo comes with a clever way -not break of continuity (hadn' noticed that )
4. "Flash of the Blade" At 2:02 the bridge that is the start of the solo breaks the continuity
5. "The Duellists" At 2:52 we have a break of continuity as well
6. "Back in the Village" (Dickinson, Smith) – 5:03 At 2:31 we have a break as well
7. "Powerslave" (Dickinson) – 7:11 At 3:03 we have a very nice change of rhythm, but no continuity
8. "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" At 9:15 the solo rests in the continuity which was broken at 9:01 from the bridge

There is nothing wrong about that, but in Maiden culture there are a lot of bridges /change of rhythm to prepare the solos
which lead to what I call 'break of the continuity'

Here are some youtube examples of continuity :

Rolling Stones -Gimme Shelter -Notice how naturally the solo comes (2:04 & 2:21) and goes (2:45); once is finished we have the voice of the woman like nothing happened -totally natural

Ancient Mariner

I still don't think I get it that well. Another question trying to get more to the core of the issue:

Do you mean that you "simply" prefer a solo to start immediately after a part with lyrics instead of adding another (short) instrumental part in between?

As a result, you like to keep your instrumental parts as short as possible.

Man you must hate metal for that.
Metal is THE genre with build-ups and instrumental parts, where (apart from jazz) most other genres are full of lyrics and if there is a solo it often starts right after the chorus.

If you do want to appreciate metal, you need to appreciate "break-ups", since they are part of the essence of the excitement and variety in the genre.

Ancient Mariner

I personally love the solos in No More Lies; they flow smoothly from one to the other, and they all are good representatives of the players' styles. At one point, No More Lies was in my list of top 5 Maiden solos.

But I understand no_5's point about Stranger in a Strange Land. And it definitely is an excellent solo.

The Angel Of The Odd

Well, yes and no: I listened to the song earlier: While there is a change of rhythm when the solo begins,
in this particular song, all the changes are so brilliant -that it's difficult to speak for a brake of continuity.

@Forostar : Maybe I should find another expression than 'break of continuity' but there is nothing bad in this:
Too simply this is the Maiden Culture : The solos are usually prepared by bridges or chances of rhythm.
We speak for one of the trademarks of our beloved group -there's certainly nothing bad at all here